Organizations use enterprise computing systems to manage different business processes through customizable applications that interact with each other. For example, enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are computer-based systems that manage an organization's assets, financial resources, materials, and personnel. An ERP system landscape may include several different application components that may share data with each other. These application components may include a customer relationship management (CRM) system, an ERP application system, a warehouse management system, and a decision support system.
Existing ERP systems include a central design time repository that is accessible to each application component of the ERP system landscape. Content objects that are used in each application component are initially developed for inclusion in the central design time repository. Content objects identify fields, structure, and sources of data used in the application. This information may be stored as metadata in the central repository. Each time a new application is added to an ERP system landscape, the corresponding content objects used in the application must also be added to the central repository.
The central repository requirement in existing ERP system landscapes has several disadvantages. First, because content objects used in applications must be added to the central repository, developers writing new applications must also create content object metadata for inclusion in the central repository. This is cumbersome and inefficient for developers who may be familiar with certain programming languages used to create their application but not familiar with the structure or programming of the central design time repository, as the developers must invest additional resources in creating the content object metadata.
Additionally, the requirement also creates additional shipment and installation inefficiencies. This is because two separate shipment channels and installations may be needed to incorporate the new application in an ERP system. The first shipment channel may include software and/or hardware containing the new application, which may be installed as a separate system or as part of an existing system. The second shipment channel may include the application specific content object metadata for inclusion in the central repository. Aside from installing the application itself on an application system, the content object metadata must also be installed on the separate repository system storing the central content repository. Two shipment channels are typically used because the central repository system is structurally distinct from the application systems and also often located in another region.
FIG. 1 shows an exemplary configuration of an existing ERP system landscape 100. This ERP system landscape 100 may have originally included a CRM application system 110, an ERP application system 160, and a central design time repository 101 storing content objects 111 and 161 for CRM system 110 and ERP application system 160, respectively. During runtime, the CRM 110 and ERP application 160 systems may communicate with the central repository 101 to access the content objects 111 and 161 associated with the respective application system 110 and 160. This communication is necessary because each of the content objects 111 and 161 identify fields, structure, and sources of data used in the respective application 110 and 160.
Once the ERP system landscape 100 has been deployed, developers may develop new applications or application upgrades or organizations may decide to addition functionality to their ERP system landscape 100. For example, a developer may release a new version 2.0 of a CRM system 120, followed later by an even newer version 3.0 of CRM system 130. Alternatively, an organization may decide to add another application system component, such as a decision support system 180, to include additional functionality in its ERP system landscape 100.
However, in each of these situations, in order to fully integrate these new systems 120, 130, and 180 in the existing ERP system landscape 100, the content objects 121, 131, and 181 for each of these respective new systems must also be added to the central repository 101.
There is a need for systems and methods where new applications added to an ERP system include self-contained content objects that do not have to be separate structured, formatted, and included in a central repository.